This invention relates to an automatic program selector of a video tape recorder (VTR) and, more particularly, to an automatic program selector of a VTR in which a magnetic tape is drawn out to the side of a rotating head unit in recording (REC) and play (PLAY) modes, and is not drawn out in stop (STOP), fast forward (FF), and rewind (REW) modes.
A conventional VTR provided with a program selector for detecting a recording start position of any program recorded on a magnetic tape has been proposed. Such a program selector records a program selection signal over the entire width of the magnetic tape for a predetermined period of time when the recording operation starts, and reads out the recorded program selection during the fast-forwarding or rewinding of the magnetic tape, thereby detecting the recording start position. Another program selector in which the program selection signal is recorded by changing a duty of a control signal for a predetermined period of time has also been proposed.
In such a program selector, when the above-mentioned program selection signal is detected, the magnetic tape is stopped. At this time, when a user depresses a key for selecting the PLAY mode, the VTR is switched to the PLAY mode and the user can confirm a recorded content. When an unwanted recorded content is reproduced, the user depresses a key for selecting the FF or REW mode, and the magnetic tape again travels at high speed. Since the VTR is set in the STOP mode every time a recording start position is detected, keys must be depressed frequently in order to confirm the recorded content and to detect the next recording start position In particular, since video cassette tapes for a longperiod recording have been used increasingly, a large number of programs tend to be recorded on a single tape. Thus, a considerable number of key operations is required for confirming all the recorded contents, resulting in inconvenient and time-consuming operation.